The Ashes
by sydneysages
Summary: Myrnin's dying, and it's all her fault. /Claire, Myrnin and the madness that follows a rebellion. Vaguely AU, vaguely set within Naomi's attempted coup in Bitter Blood.


This is literally the first thing i've written in months, maybe years, and it probably makes no sense, but i hope you enjoy!

It's set in a sort of AU world where things go slightly differently as part of Naomi's attempted coup in Bitter Blood!

* * *

She's screaming and she's crying and she's begging them please, _please_ don't do it, but Claire can't do anything but watch as a silver stake is plunged into Myrnin's heart with venomous pleasure by one of the people who they thought they could trust.

Claire falls to her knees, unable to see Myrnin's slumped body for the tears cascading from her eyes down her cheeks, and the person – _vampire_ – who's supposed to be holding her doesn't react. Claire can't tell if Joe, someone she once considered one of the 'good guys' (as far as a vampire can be a good guy), expected this to happen, but she doesn't care. She wants him dead. She wants them all dead.

Rationally, she knows that Myrnin's got the best chance of surviving such an attack of any of the vampires in Morganville, probably even better than Amelie. Nobody knows how old he is exactly, and he's survived much worse threats to his life; a stake ought to be a walk in the park for him.

But they've starved him over the past few weeks, tormented him and punished him for what they consider to be Amelie's transgressions. The rebellion - orchestrated by Naomi but officially coordinated by her puppet Oliver – had been underground for months, gathering momentum and pace until they became bold enough to go after the queen's most treasured living friend (because Samuel Glass was dead and he wasn't coming back). So they targeted Myrnin.

As she watches his body shake sporadically, Claire thinks that she could have prevented this. She could have raised the alarm sooner, could have alerted Amelie that there was something amiss in the town that she had given up so much to protect. But she didn't.

It's all because of what happened the last time she saw him.

.x.

They had been in the laboratory as usual, working on an experiment to increase the potency of animal blood cells – because if vampires could feed on dogs, perhaps humans would be safe – when the conversation had become rather more personal than normal. Ever since Myrnin had saved her from the Draug, Claire could feel the slight change in their relationship, the unspoken question and undisclosed feelings on both sides lingering whenever they spent time alone together.

Until the question was no longer unspoken.

"Claire," Myrnin had whispered her name, his voice lilting – the Welsh accent was always strongest when his voice was soft. "Claire, when are we going to be together?"

She had gotten angry at this point, a sudden burst of rage erupting with force. "When are we going to be _together_? What on earth are you talking about?"

Then an argument ensued about the fact that he insisted she reciprocated his feelings for her – feelings that Claire had told Shane definitely didn't exist – before she lost it completely.

"No, Myrnin. There's never going to be an us. You're a means to an end, for me to learn a little bit more than TPU could teach me, and for me to get access to top quality equipment. Nothing more. So until you can accept that, I'm not coming back."

She had stormed out of the lab at that point, vowing that she wouldn't return until he apologised or suggested that they forget the entire conversation happened. It was only after she left that she began to recognise that the force of the anger wasn't just irritation at Myrnin declaring unreciprocated feelings, but because she was trying to suppress what she had felt too.

(She expected him to call within an hour, and put it down to his stubbornness that he didn't. It was only two weeks later that she had finally decided to call his bluff and go to the laboratory.)

((When she found Bob's dead body, she knew that something was desperately wrong.))

.x.

And now they're here, Claire in handcuffs, Myrnin's body burning from the inside and roasting slowly from the outside in the early evening sunlight in Founder's Square, waiting for Amelie to come and rescue them. It's doubly Claire's fault that they're in this situation because she _had_ to go attempt a one woman rescue mission, didn't she? She had to try and rescue the one person who had believed in her, who had known that there was something wrong all those months ago, the one person who was willing to do whatever it took to get her back.

And she failed. Miserably. Naomi knew that Claire would attempt something of the sort and had set up a deceptively simple cell to keep Myrnin in.

But the minutes are passing and Claire's tears are starting to stem but Amelie hasn't arrived yet, and Myrnin's getting closer to death – and there's nothing she can do. There's nothing she can say because the only word that's coming out of her mouth is _please_ , and there's no way on earth that she would be able to beat a vampire's strength.

She's got to watch Myrnin die, knowing that it's all her fault…and that she can't admit to him that there's at least a tiny possibility that they could have a future together.

Until she doesn't have to any longer.

.x.

There's a large bang, and suddenly there are red and yellow and orange flames leaping about the great expanse of grass in front of City Hall, causing a commotion among the revolting vampires. Joe, her captor, jumps and runs, caring more about his own life than the person Naomi had charged him to guard. Vampires burn – and there's no coming back from the ashes. Amelie is here, and she is making her presence known.

Claire takes this opportunity to run to Myrnin, to collapse next to his body, and to gather enough breath to whisper, "I'm sorry," into his ear.

Then, with more than a little (misplaced) courage, she yanks the stake from his chest.

Myrnin's back arches, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly, before he slumps back to the ground, his eyes remaining closed. Claire begins to worry that she's too late, that he's too far gone to come back and help her, to save them both.

Only when his hand shoots out and grabs her wrist does Claire think otherwise.

"Thank…you…for coming back," Myrnin murmurs, each word catching. It sounds nothing like the lilting tone he usually reserves for Claire; instead, each word catches in his throat, raspy and harsh. "Now…run before I hurt you."

Claire doesn't hesitate; she stumbles to her feet and runs in the direction of the flames which are spreading faster than she thought possible. It's a sign of how messed up things are in Morganville that running into fire is the safe option.

Briefly, she turns back around to see Myrnin standing, towering over the vampires who remain near to him, fangs fully extended.

He's alive, and he's doing what he swore he would always do: protecting her.

.x.

"You're awake."

It's three days later, and Claire's sat by Myrnin's bed, watching as his eyes slowly open for the first time since the fire. He had destroyed ten of the vampires Naomi had turned before the bloodlust and damage done to his body had overcome his desire to protect Claire, causing him to fall unconscious.

She's sat with him for most of this time, struggling to care enough about the fact that Amelie has – once again – overcame the rebellion and her blood sister, ending the feud once and for all. Finally, Amelie is the sole heiress to the Bishop bloodline, with no blots darkening her claim.

There is no more 'queen she shall be' – Amelie is the queen, and there is nothing any of them could do now to stop it.

Myrnin nods slowly, his eyes locking with Claire's for a brief moment before moving down to note Claire's hand wrapped tightly around his own. Blushing, Claire retains her grasp, aware that Myrnin could break it if he wanted to – but she has a feeling he doesn't.

"You came back for me." His voice is a whisper, almost inaudible, and Claire struggles to catch it.

But when she comprehends what he said, she nods, a smile tugging the corners of her lips.

"Of course I did," she replies, her voice equally quiet. "I couldn't lose you.

"I won't lose you."


End file.
